Ride Calhoun authority outlines timeline, budget and service plan after millage win

Mallory Avis, public transit director for the City of Battle Creek, told the Sustainable BC Committee on Feb. 24 that the Transportation Authority of Calhoun County — branded Ride Calhoun — will use a voter-approved 2.66-mill levy to fund expanded countywide transit and to meet federal and state reimbursement rules.

Avis said the millage passed in November with about 58% support and that the authority will rely on a mix of fare revenue, federal and state grants and the millage to operate. “Our estimate is an average operating budget of about $12,000,000 with roughly $7,000,000 in federal and state grants,” she said. She added that farebox receipts (about $1.75 per ride) currently cover roughly 7% of operating revenue.

The authority grew out of a BCGo pilot and transit studies; BCGo demand exceeded expectations, Avis said, with more than 50,000 trip requests by the pilot’s second year and only about 22% of requests met. That data informed the authority’s planning and the service scenarios the board considered.

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